Infant bib

ABSTRACT

A child&#39;s bib for use concurrent with a dummy so as to inhibit the dummy from falling out of the child&#39;s mouth or to retain the dummy adjacent the child&#39;s head. The bib can include a case of flexible material, such as cloth, and an inelastically deformable material encased within the case such that the bib may be deformed to form a stop structure to retain the dummy or to catch the dummy should it fall out. The bib can also include a bib element including an inelastically deformable material that is attachable to a surface of a conventional bib, such as via hook-and-loop tape. The bib can also be deformed to form a catch structure to catch material, such as food, that may exit the child&#39;s mouth.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is related to Norwegian application No. 20000546filed Feb. 2, 2000 and is a national phase application of PCT/NO01/00032filed Jan. 30, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to an infant bib and/or a bib for smallchildren who use dummies, but who are normally unable to put theirdummies back into their mouths if the dummies should fall out.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] A bib of the kind that the present invention concerns itselfwith, is the conventional bib, which by and large takes the form of apiece of cloth or plastic for protecting clothes against dribble andfood spillage. Such bibs are provided with fastening means, for examplein the form of two fastening bands, one at either one of the uppercorners of the rectangular bib, which can be tied together or connectedin any easily releasable manner.

[0006] Infants wear bibs when they eat, but since some infants andotherwise very small children often throw up food at night-time, the useof a bib has also been normal after the child has been put to bed tosleep.

[0007] In order to support a dummy in its position of use in an infant'smouth, so that it does not fall out so easily, one can try to crumpleand shape the bib so that it might have a certain supporting effect tobegin with, but experience tells that each time the child turns itshead, the bib is brought out of its supporting position, which isthereby neutralised, whereby the bib can no longer prevent the dummyfrom falling out.

[0008] A child who loses its dummy, will usually wake up and make somesounds. Thereby the parents may be disturbed repeatedly every night.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,665 discloses an additional element in a flatbib for infants. Said element has the form of a roll ofliquid-/milk-absorbing cloth and is attached to the upper edge of thebib, at that point were excess milk may presumably run down when thechild is fed milk from a feeding bottle.

[0010] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,312,282 and 4,473,907 disclose bibs, to whichfeeding bottles can be attached and thus be held in position by thebibs, so that the child can suck the teat of the bottle. These combinedteats and feeding bottles are best suited for older infants and are notknown in combination with dummies.

[0011] Replaceable front pieces on bibs are known in themselves, cf.U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,289, in which hook-and-loop tapes are used asconnecting means. Here, attachable outer front pieces with greatabsorption properties are discussed. An inner front piece, whose upperportion is covered by the attachable/replaceable front piece, has alower, upward open, non-covered pocket, meant to receive scraps of foodand similar which are not caught through absorption by the outerabsorbing front piece.

[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,510 and European patent application,publication No. 0 524 325 A1, show bibs equipped in other ways.

[0013] None of the bibs explained briefly above have inherent propertiesto facilitate maintenance of a bent shape with the purpose of supportingand holding a dummy in place in the mouth for a child who cannot manageto get a dummy that has fallen out of its mouth, back into its mouth,even if it is in the immediate vicinity of the child's head and hands.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Thus it has been an object of the invention to provide a bibincluding soft surfaces of layers of cloth and provided with fasteningmeans, which has properties that make it well suited for being bent andshaped so that it provides efficient and lasting support of a dummy in achild's mouth, so that the dummy is inhibited from falling inadvertentlyout of the child's mouth. By the expression “lasting support” is meantthat the bib maintains its dummy-supporting bent shape in the conditionswhich can normally be expected for the bib.

[0015] According to one aspect of the invention this object is realisedin that the bib can be at least partially plastically deformed.

[0016] According to the invention the bib is plastically deformable andwill thus maintain its bent dummy-supporting shape.

[0017] Based on easily available materials, such as aluminium foil, toprovide the bib with the desirable plastic deformability, a multi-layerinsert element of plastically deformable foil is wrapped in an externalcase of soft, flexible, sheet-like cloth or plastic material, forexample two layers of cotton fabric which are sewn together alongabutting circumferential rim portions to enclose, between themselves, amulti-layer insert element of metal foil.

[0018] The bib, which is manufactured in this way, may be equipped withfastening means, for example the two conventional ribbons attached totwo of the bib's corners. In addition to the circumferential seams thebib may be provided, if desirable or necessary, with longitudinal and/ortransversal seams in order better to keep the layers of the foil insertin place inside the cotton case.

[0019] In a manner known in itself, this basic bib may possibly havehook-and-loop tape sewn on for the attachment of an ordinary bib overthe front portion of the basic bib.

[0020] Due to the plastic deformability of the insert, a bib constructedaccording to this invention can be bent and shaped so that it obtains anelevated support edge, against which the external part of the dummy,that is the stop disc that bears on the external portions of the child'slips, and possibly a ring attached to the stop disc, will bear in asupporting manner and thus be inhibited from falling out of the child'smouth, even when the child falls asleep and does not at all times exertthe suction force which is necessary to keep the dummy in place in itsmouth. As mentioned above, this concerns infants or very young childrenwho will not at all be able to get the dummies back into place if theyhave fallen out of their mouths.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] A non-limiting example of a possible embodiment will be explainedin the following with reference to the appended schematic drawings, inwhich:

[0022]FIG. 1 shows a bib, for example in the form of a so-called basicbib (for the attachment of a bib front piece thereto) in a randomillustrative perspective, in which one lower corner portion of the uppercotton layer of an outer case has been cut away, so that an insert oflayers of aluminium foil is exposed;

[0023]FIG. 2 shows in a perspective view a similar bib in use, in whichcan be seen, in a cut-away corner of the outer case, several layers ofaluminium foil lying on top of each other, which are also cut slightlyin the visible corner to visualise the above-lying layers of foil;

[0024] FIGS. 3-5 show, in schematic side views, bibs in positions ofuse, in which a bib portion has been bent for the purpose of attaining aspecific effect and function,

[0025]FIGS. 3 and 4 showing a bib bent in an upper portion in a mannercorresponding to that in FIG. 2,

[0026]FIG. 5 showing a bending of lower bib portion in a manner toimprove the capacity of the bib to collect crumbs and other scraps fromthe child's meal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0027] In the figures of the drawings reference numeral 10 generallyidentifies a bib according to embodiments of the invention.

[0028] In FIGS. 2-4 reference numeral 12 identifies a dummy, which is inuse and is represented here by the stop disc, which bears in itsposition of use against the child's lips and prevents the nipple-likesucking-element of the dummy from being swallowed. Such a dummy is oftenprovided with a ring which is secured centrally on the stop disc.

[0029] The bib 10 is provided with ordinary fastening ribbons 14, whosefree end portions are tied together at the child's neck, or areconnected to one another in another manner, for example by means ofhook-and-loop tape.

[0030] In this embodiment, the bib 10 comprises an outer case consistingof an upper layer 16 and a lower layer 18. Between the layers 16, 18,which may include cotton fabric or other soft flexible cloth or plasticmaterial, are inserted a plurality, in this specific embodiment seven,parallel aluminium foils 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, 20 d, 20 e, 20 f, 20 g, whichare shown cut, in FIG. 2, in the lower corner portion of the bib, whichhas been exposed by removal of the upper layer of cotton fabric of thebib case 10.

[0031] After the insert 20 a-20 g has been positioned between them, theupper and lower layers 16 and 18 of the bib case are sewn together alongthe circumferential edges, or connected in another manner, for exampleby welding, fusing etc. if the case comprises weldable plastic.

[0032] Seams along the rims are identified by 22 in FIG. 1. Intermediatelongitudinal/transversal seams 24/26 may be provided.

[0033] In order to maintain an intended bent bib shape, the plasticdeformability of the aluminium foil insert 20 a-20 g is utilised, thesoft cotton layers 16, 18 of the bib case following the bending andshaping of the foil 20 a-20 g due to their flexibility.

[0034] In FIGS. 2-4 of the drawings the bib 10 has been bent and shapedat an upper portion to have an elevated supporting portion in order tokeep the dummy 12 in place, so that it will not inadvertently fall out,cf. FIG. 4 in particular. This supporting portion, which the stop discof the dummy 12 will be forced against when it is about to fall out ofthe child's mouth, and whereby it is inhibited from doing so, is definedupwards by an upper rim 10A.

[0035] Said dummy-supporting portion of the bib is immediately oppositethe external part 12 of the dummy and is in its way when the dummy isabout to fall out of the child's mouth, FIG. 4. Should the dummy stillfall out, the shaped supporting portion immediately below the raisededge 10A could in most cases catch the dummy before it moves away fromthe immediate vicinity of the child's head.

[0036] The front piece (cotton layer 16) of the bib 10 may be provided,in a manner not shown in further detail, with hook-and-loop tapes forattachment to the child's ordinary bib or for the attachment of one outof a number of different bib front pieces (not shown). The case layer 16which comes to be the uppermost one in use, may possibly be providedwith decorations that are common on bibs.

[0037] Of course, it is possible that such an attachable bib front piececarries the fastening ribbons 14 or other fastening means, so that suchmay possibly be left out in the basic bib. In this case, the basic bibis preferably provided with hook-and-loop tapes or other fastening meansfor connection to the bib front piece.

[0038]FIG. 5 shows an additional function of a plastically deformablebendable bib 10 according to the invention. In its position of use, thelower free portion of a bib 10 is here bent upwards for the formation ofa kind of collecting groove 10B for crumbs and other scraps from thechild's meal.

What is claimed is:
 1. A child's bib comprising soft surfaces of layersof cloth and provided with fastening means for the attachment of the bibto at least one of round a child's neck and to another bib elementcarrying corresponding fastening means, wherein the bib is equipped witha plastically deformable foil material, the material adjacent the mouthof the child being arranged to be shaped as to sustain a dummy in themouth of the child.
 2. The bib of claim 1, wherein the bib comprises anouter closed flat case formed of an upper and a lower layer of cloth,joined along overlapping circumferential portions, and a plasticallydeformable multi-layer foil insert.
 3. The bib of claim 2, wherein theinsert comprises a plurality of generally identical aluminium foilsplaced on top of each other, whose outer edges are kept in the mainpositionally fixed inside the case.
 4. A child's bib comprising: a layerof inelastically deformable material; surface layers of flexiblematerial substantially enclosing the inelastically deformable material;and an attachment arrangement adapted to secure the bib about a child'sneck such that the bib may be inelastically deformed to provide abarrier to facilitate retention of objects in the child's mouth.
 5. Thebib of claim 4, wherein the layer of inelastically deformable materialcomprises plurality of individual sheets of inelastically deformablematerial.
 6. The bib of claim 5, wherein the individual sheets comprisea metallic foil.
 7. The bib of claim 4, wherein the attachmentarrangement comprises ribbons adapted to be tied around the child'sneck.
 8. The bib of claim 4, wherein the bib may be inelasticallydeformed to provide a catch structure to facilitate retention ofmaterial that may exit the child's mouth.
 9. A bib element forattachment to at least one surface of a bib, the bib element comprising:a layer of inelastically deformable material; and a securing mechanismattached to at least one surface of the inelastically deformablematerial such that the securing mechanism and the inelasticallydeformable material can be attached to at least one surface of the bibsuch that the bib may be inelastically deformed so as to form stopstructures.
 10. The bib element of claim 9, wherein the attachment ofthe bib element to the bib is a releasable attachment.
 11. The bibelement of claim 9, wherein the securing mechanism compriseshook-and-loop tape.